A Friendly Game
by HidingLight
Summary: The team plans a night of playing pool together, but a different kind of game is going on under the surface. A fluffy little Tibbs piece. M rating for the last chapter :)
1. Chapter 1

_This started as a little one shot, but it looks like it's getting broken up into two or three smaller pieces :) It's a little fluffeh! I feel a need to disclose that I'm not anti-Ziva! We'll leave it at that so that I'm not ducking virtual logs being thrown in either direction of the Tiva war! :-D_

_This is unbetaed- all mistakes are my own! Hope you enjoy!_

A Friendly Game: Chapter 1

"Tony, pool is all physics. It doesn't actually take any athletic ability, so your argument is not only ridiculous, but has absolutely no basis." Tim chastised Tony as they made their way to their desks from the elevator.

Gibbs was listening to the conversation immediately, but as always, pretended not to. If the time came where his two cents would be needed, he'd give it in his usual fashion, but seeing as both of his agents were half an hour early, he let them go on for a while.

As Tony approached his desk, he looked over at Gibbs with a smile, knowing his boss probably had his head buried in a file, or some paperwork, and wouldn't even look up. "Morning, Boss," he said as he turned to plop his stuff down. Tim echoed the sentiment before returning to his rebuttal of Tony's statement in the elevator.

Tony sat at his desk, maintaining a small smile. Rousing a rant out of McGee was his favorite way to start a week. He ran into his probie in the parking garage, and their discussion on the way up led to Tony talking about his friend's upcoming bachelor party, and a pool bet they still needed to settle. He hadn't played in a couple of years though, so he told Tim that he was going to ask Ziva to practice with him that week. When Tim asked why Tony was asking her and not him, Tony took the low road and brought up Tim's lack of athletic experience. He hadn't told him yet that Ziva was practically a pool shark. That would take the fun out of it.

Tim continued chattering at him. He listened as he booted up his computer and opened his email. "You would rather take Ziva to a bar to play pool than me? How do you expect to get any woman's number with Ziva around? They'll all think she's with you. She's got the whole..."more than a sister, but not sure what she is", vibe."

Gibbs looked up over his glasses at Tony to see his reaction. He wasn't sure what was there under the expression he saw the younger man wearing. He had been wondering a long time about Tony and Ziva's relationship, and whether or not Tony would ever realize Ziva's emotions ran a little deeper than what she usually let him see. He loved Ziva like a daughter, but the feelings he had for Tony were nothing like he would have for a son. He didn't want Ziva to get hurt, yet again, but it took everything in him to not give her empty desk a jealous glare at the idea that other people might think she and Tony were a couple.

"Well, McWhiney, I wasn't planning on going out. If you recall, the last time Ziva and I played pool in a bar, we had to take on half of the people there. I, for one, would rather not do that again." He looked up for a moment at Gibbs' snort. "Besides, the new place has a clubhouse, and there's a pool table there. Checked this morning, and no one has any time booked for Wednesday night. This time of year, people would rather be outside than inside, and since the swimming pool is closed, no one should be around at all."

Tony's words made Gibbs look out the window involuntarily. The trees he could see were mainly green still, but a beautiful array of reds, oranges and yellows were starting to tint the leaves. Summer was just turning over to fall in D.C., and the weather made for perfect walks along the piers and docks, as well as patio parties and other activities that it had been too hot that summer to do outdoors. He turned towards Tony. "How're you liking the new place, DiNozzo?"

Tony's head snapped towards Gibbs, and his abrupt entry into their conversation. He smiled brightly, loving whatever attention he could get from the older man. "It's different. The commute is a bitch, and it's not as urban as I'm used to. However, I know my heat works! Got down to 50 last night, and heard it kick on. Closed the living room windows, and it cut back off a few minutes later. Still enjoying the fact that it's not 95 degrees too much to close the bedroom windows."

Gibbs smiled back at that, and looked back down at his paperwork. "Yeah, mine were open last night, too."

Tony looked at his computer screen, trying to fight off the urge to grin like a fool at the idea that he and Gibbs had something in common last night as they slept. "I don't know if I will ever get used to how quiet it is. Used to hearing traffic at all hours of the night, and people stumbling home from the bars. Now, it's moms and dads yelling for their kids to come in from an impromptu soccer game in the side yard at sunset." Tony looked back up over his computer, and stared off into space, remembering the evening before.

Gibbs looked up to notice the bewildered expression on Tony's face, and snickered to himself. "Sounds pretty good to me. You'll get used to it."

Tim was watching their short conversation, not really sure where to jump in. He knew Tony had been going through some serious changes over the past few months. After chasing down Dearing, the team's summer became a collection of life changing decisions. Abby was going through a strong family bonding after reconnecting with her brother. It had everyone worried, but they were crossing their fingers for her. Ziva had started taking all sorts of classes for things that she had always wanted to learn how to do, but had always put off. Most recently, she was taking photography, piano, and learning Cajun cooking.

Tim had gotten a call from his dad last month. He tried not to be bitter about the fact that it took the man more than two months to call after the explosion, but he couldn't. Things finally came to a head, and he went off. He told the Admiral exactly how he felt about constantly taking a back seat to his work, and very explicitly told him that he didn't need someone in his life that would put him so far down the bottom of the list when he should be right at the top. He vowed to let the people who mattered to him fill the hole that his father had always left in him, and so far, he was succeeding.

Tony, however, had changed most of all. It wasn't lost on any of them that Tony and Gibbs had gotten even closer. They knew that Gibbs had been instrumental in Tony's decision to finally move out of the city and into the 'burbs, buying a condo. Tony was calmer, more focused, and simply more mature. Tim was relieved when he had asked Abby and Ziva, and they said that they had noticed, too. Ziva's reaction led to a concerned chat between Abby and Tim once she left. They were worried about how strongly her feelings were growing for Tony, when they both knew he wasn't into her.

It was that disconnect that was the real reason for why Tim was upset that Tony was inviting just Ziva to go play pool with him. It seemed that Tony was oblivious to their former assassin's emotional attachment to him, and Tim knew that an invite like this would say something to her that wouldn't be intended.

"How about this, Tony? I'll talk to Abby, and she and I will take you and Ziva on. Geeks versus street. Winner buys coffee all next week."

Gibbs' head turned slightly to see the look on Tony's face as Tim taunted him with the bet. It dawned on him that Tim might be trying to keep the other two agents from being alone, and a part of him was grateful. The last thing he needed was his team turning into a soap opera. He had enough of one playing out in his own head as he dealt with what _he_ was feeling for Tony. He wouldn't know where to begin if Ziva's emotions were thrown into the mix.

He saw the fire in those green eyes that couldn't step down from a challenge unless the challenge, itself, was stepping down. He knew that Tony was sunk, unable to back-pedal now. Wednesday night would be pool night for their team. He shook his head, chuckling

"What do you think you're laughing about over there?" Tony asked, directing his comment at Gibbs, causing the older man to look up. "You get to come play referee. If we're all in, you're coming too." Tony smiled brightly in that way that he had learned Gibbs couldn't say no to. At least, he hadn't said no to it all summer, which meant looking at a few condos with Tony, each time ending with dinner afterwards instead of the basement. He had never tried its magical powers out in front of another teammate though. When Gibbs smiled back, and shook his head yet again, saying, "We'll see," Tony took it as a win. He turned to see Tim's confused expression and mouthed, _He's coming, _before turning back to his email.

Tim shrugged. "I'll go tell Abby."

"Tell Abby what, McGee?" Ziva asked as she came into the bullpen, dropping her things behind her desk before flashing Tony a smile.

"You and I are taking McGee and Abby on in pool Wednesday night to prepare for my friend's bachelor party on Friday. Have an old bet to settle with him, and I have to brush up on my skills. McGeek is convinced that he and Abby's big-brain understanding of physics will be enough to conquer good old-fashioned street experience." Tony got to his feet and leaned against his desk, forming a huddle with McGee and Ziva.

"Who's getting married, anyway, Tony? I never asked." Tim asked.

"A couple of my frat brothers actually!" Tony's voice was cheerful and showed his own surprise. "They've been together for years and never told any of us, but since Mark is working on the Hill now with the Human Right Campaign people, they decided to come out to their friends. When they were surprised by how supportive everyone was, they decided to have a real ceremony and tie the knot. Gotta give them kudos- _none_ of us had any clue they were together or even gay. Not a single sign of their relationship. Then again, when you only see them twice a year, it's hard to pick up on much."

Tim looked at Ziva, realizing that she wasn't looking as upbeat as she had a few moments before. She was still smiling, but Tim could tell it was a little forced. "Maybe you just are not as observant as you think you are about what other people feel." Ziva's words were full of humor, but to someone listening for it, were laced with bitterness.

Gibbs felt himself cringe. It was time to jump into the drama headfirst. He opened up his email and sent a short message to Tony, then got to his feet. "McGee- go tell Abby about this... thing... and help her with Balboa's evidence. Ziva, you've got time scheduled in the gym this morning. DiNozzo, you're in court tomorrow. Go over the information again. No room for error."

Tony sat down at his desk as Ziva grabbed her duffel and headed towards the back staircase. Tim picked up his laptop bag, and headed for the staircase next to the elevator. Tony looked up to see him leave and found Gibbs staring at him from the elevator. Tony motioned like drinking from a cup, and pointed to himself. Gibbs nodded, getting the point, but didn't stop staring at him. The elevator doors opened, and Tony smiled, pointing at them. Gibbs turned towards them, looking like had had forgotten how to get in the lift for a moment, and then shook his head before stepping on.

Tony sat back in his chair, suddenly alone in the bullpen, staring at the spot in the air that Gibbs had just disappeared from. There had been signs all summer that their relationship had been changing. They were spending more time alone together, doing things other than sitting silently in the basement getting wasted. When they _were_ alone together, they sat close to one another, and Tony could swear that Gibbs was flirting with him on a couple of occasions, It was so subtle and borderline, that Tony was confused enough to be too late to really respond to it, worried that his own emotions were making him read too much into it.

He had wanted Gibbs for a long time, but something was different now. The extent of what he wanted was different. Before, it could have been a "friends with benefits" situation, and he would have been happy. Now, there was no way he would be able to accept just that. Gibbs had meant more to him than just about anyone else in the world since he brought him on board, but over the past few months, he had become his everything. He was more than the boss, the mentor, the friend- he was who Tony had finally realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Tony could almost feel Gibbs' eyes still staring back at him. He knew that they had rule twelve in the way, but he just didn't care anymore. Something had to give. One more look like that, and he would break.

He snapped out of his daze, and looked back down at his computer. He saw the email notification from Gibbs, and his eyes scrunched up in curiosity. They rarely emailed one another.

_My place tonight. I'll make the steaks, you bring the beer. I think we need to discuss this lack of observation skills Ziva's talking about._

Tony froze. Lack of observation skills? About what? Was Gibbs finally going to say something about what was happening between them? He was hot from head to toe suddenly. He knew he shouldn't get his hopes up, but so many images were flying through his head, and he couldn't keep them from being at least somewhat x-rated.

Then, another idea flashed through his head. Was there something on the job that he hadn't been observant of lately? Was that what Gibbs was talking about? Was he slipping? Tony shook his head. He was pretty sure that train of thought was his normal insecurities gnawing at him, like Gibbs had talked to him about this summer, but he couldn't be positive.

However, it brought him back to the importance of going over the files for court the next day. He shook his distractions from his head, and opened one of the folders. He was deep in reading twenty minutes later, when he saw the cup of coffee appear out of the corner of his eye. He reached for it and flashed a warm smile at his boss before taking a drink.

Gibbs stayed where he stood for a moment, staring at Tony. "Tonight?"

"Yeah. Sounds good." Tony said with a nod. Gibbs nodded back, and turned towards his desk. Tony let out a sigh, and turned back to his case file. _What the hell is going on?_ he wondered.

That night, Tony walked up Gibbs' driveway, a six pack in one hand and a bundle of nerves in the other. He wanted this to be about them, and about his observation skills as they applied to their relationship. He was fully prepared for the discussion to be about work, though, after beating himself up all day about every single error, or possible error, he could think of. He had replayed the conversation he had had with Gibbs earlier in the summer about his insecurities being unwarranted over and over again, trying to calm himself down.

He finally made his way through the front door without knocking, and slipped his coat on the rack inside before heading into the living room to sit the six-pack on the coffee table. Gibbs came to the kitchen doorway and leaned against the frame. His smile made Tony relax immediately. This couldn't be about work. Gibbs looked happy.

"Hey," Tony greeted with a smile.

"Hey, yourself."

"Beer?" Tony asked, pulling two from the cardboard holder. When Gibbs nodded and his eyebrows rose, Tony realized that Gibbs was a little nervous. He took that as a good sign and opened his beer, handing the other to Gibbs. "Anything I can help with?"

"Nope. Steaks came off a few minutes ago. Sit."

Tony turned to the couch with a smirk. If Fornell were to ever hear him following Gibbs' command to "sit", he would never hear the end of it.

Thirty minutes later, they had finished eating and established that Tony was ready for court the next day. They were sitting close enough on the couch that when Tony sat back, he brushed Gibbs' arm with his. Gibbs took their plates to the kitchen, and left them in the sink to deal with later. When he sat back on the couch, he was right up against Tony.

"Do you have any idea how Ziva feels about you?" Gibbs asked quietly and bluntly.

Tony's whole body tensed. _Is _that_ what this is about? _ He thought to himself.

"Yeah, I do." He sighed heavily. "And no, I don't feel the same way about her." Tony's eyes bore into Gibbs, both of them looking at one another from less than two feet away. "I've tried to make it clear to her that we're never going to be more than friends when it's started to come up in the past, but..." Tony drifted off and shook his head, his eyes wandering to stare across the room into the fire with another sigh. "I've put as much space between us as I know how to without hurting her. She's one of the family, one of those people that have made their way in, past the bullshit. I am afraid of doing something to make her want to leave that inner circle, and I need her there, so I've let it go. I thought I'd be able to talk to her on Wednesday, but if everyone is going to be there, that won't happen."

"Do you want me to get them to call it off?" Gibbs asked quietly, placing his hand on Tony's leg in a way that had become comforting to them both this summer.

"No. The team needs a fun night out. I think it would be good for all of us." Tony turned to look at Gibbs, leaning his head back against the couch.

"Probably would, but if you don't talk things through with Ziva and clear the air soon, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better." Gibbs looked at Tony's shining green eyes as he leaned back next to him, wanting nothing more than to bend over him and kiss those delicious looking lips that were saying just what Gibbs needed to hear.

"No. I want you guys there. I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to have to find another way to talk to Ziva. I got to thinking about it today- it probably wasn't a smart idea to tell her I'm not in love with her while she has access to pool cues and billiard balls." Tony smiled as Gibbs laughed heartily.

"No, DiNozzo, it probably wouldn't have been." Gibbs leaned his back against the couch. They stared into one another's eyes. He knew that he wasn't misreading this. Tony wouldn't be sitting up against him, not flinching at the hand on his leg, staring into his eyes dreamily, if he wasn't waiting to be kissed, but Gibbs couldn't. He was frozen.

"I should head out. Have to be in court at 0800, and parking is going to be a bitch." Tony's voice was soft and regretful. Gibbs knew he wasn't reading that wrong, but Tony was right, and kissing him now would mean kissing him over and over again, and not letting Tony make it home that night. He nodded softly in agreement. "Hope you make it in sooner than later tomorrow." Gibbs knew his voice was too soft. He really wanted to say, _Hope you make it in as soon as possible because I go insane these days when you're not there to ground me._

Tony finally sat up and got to his feet, stretching and yawning. Gibbs watched his SFA's body as he stretched. He wanted to feel every inch of it under his touch, but he knew that tonight wasn't the night. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take it though. The need was becoming overwhelming. One more night in the basement, or hanging out like this, and Gibbs was going to snap and ravage Tony, hoping that the younger man was ready for it.

Tony headed for the door and Gibbs followed him, seeing him out. He never used to do that, but this way, he was able to see the delicious younger man for as long as he could. Tony slipped his jacket on and nodded. "Good night." He smiled gently, and turned to head out to his car.

Gibbs watched as Tony got into his car and started it, and then turned around, closing the door behind him. He fell back against it, running his hands down his face. He was going to have to make time with Tony, and soon, to talk about what was going on between _them, _not him and Ziva. He saw the disappointment and frustration in Tony's face when he realized that was what they were discussing, and Gibbs knew then that Tony was hoping their discussion would be about their own relationship status.

Gibbs reached over and turned off the light, then headed upstairs to bed. He had started sleeping in the bedroom again after Ryan left. He figured if he was okay enough now to have sex in the bed again, then he was okay enough to sleep in it alone. It had helped his back significantly in either case, so he had forced himself to get used to it again, and was finally back to sleeping in it as regularly as work allowed.

He stripped to his boxers and bounced onto the bed, pulling the blankets over him, and turning off the bedside lamp. He laid there in the dark for an hour, thinking about Tony's warmth against him on the couch, and how much he wanted that next to him as he slept. Eventually, he drifted off, promising himself that he'd have Tony there with him soon.


	2. Chapter 2

_Wanted to post the rest in one long chapter here, but this week has been C.R.A.Z.Y. so I didn't get to finish it. I decided I'd break it up again for y'all instead. We'll save the steamy part for later this week! :) Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed Chapter One! WOW! I am so glad y'all are enjoying this bit of fluffy fantasy! This is unbetaed, so all mistakes are courtesy of l'il ol' me!_

Chapter 2

Tuesday was spent in court. Tony sat in the courtroom from 0745, until they adjourned for lunch, without taking the stand. He hit up the vending machine in the lounge and dialed Gibbs. He hadn't slept well the night before after their talk. He kept thinking back to the feeling of the strong, supportive hand on his thigh, and the soft voice Gibbs used with him as they were inches from one another.

"Gibbs."

"Hey, Boss. Still haven't testified yet. With how crazy this is getting, I probably won't get to take the stand until tomorrow." Tony's voice sounded exhausted.

"You alright?" Gibbs asked in that gentle tone he had taken with Tony the night before.

"Tired and bored. Anything fun happen there while I've been gone?"

Gibbs felt himself smile. Tony was the only person to ever refer to what they did as fun besides him. He had created a monster, and he knew it, but loved it. "Nothing too exciting. McGee and Abby are making a lot of headway for Balboa, and Ziva is training some baby-agents in the gym today."

Tony smiled at the way Gibbs' tone was conversational. It had been like that more and more lately, and not just with him. Tony was jealous as all hell about Dr. Ryan getting her claws into Gibbs, but if that's what it took to get him to open up a bit more, then it was enough not to hate her completely.

"I think I'd rather be doing cold cases than listening to these jackoffs bitching about chain of evidence for the millionth time. They're disputing the knife that the LEOs found in the alley."

"I swear, if that prick walks because someone wasn't wearing a glove, I'm going to sew a pair onto their hands personally."

"I'll hold them down for you." Tony said without batting an eye.

Gibbs chuckled, the anger immediately draining from his veins. "I bet you would."

"Well, they're going to be starting in a minute. Better head back in." Tony sighed deeply, obviously not wanting to get off the phone.

"Okay. See you soon- if we're lucky."

"You got a four leaf clover you aren't telling me about? At this point, I'm gonna need one." Tony mumbled as he headed for the courtroom.

"Nope."

"Then expect me home late dear." Tony said with sarcasm.

Gibbs laughed. "Get in there, DiNozzo."

Tony smiled. He loved hearing Gibbs laugh. "I'll call you when I'm out."

"You'd better!" Gibbs said quietly. It was an uncontrollable flirt, escaping before he realized it. He was glad he was alone, because he felt his face go warm, and he wondered if he may have actually blushed.

Tony was definitely blushing on the other end of the line. "I will. Got to go." He hung up and found his way back to the courtroom. He felt light and dreamy until the bailiff announced the judge. It startled him back to attention, and he got to his feet, eager for the day to end.

x-x-x

Tony did manage to take the stand that day, and he found himself in his car at about 1630. Before he even turned his key, he had his phone to his ear, calling Gibbs.

"Gibbs."

Tony smiled at the sound of the gruff voice. "Hey! Made it to the stand. Heading back to the yard."

Gibbs smiled. "About damn time."

"Yeah, and it appears that we won't need our sewing needles. The judge allowed the knife into evidence."

"Even better news."

"Yeah! I'm on my way. Be there soon." Tony said, feeling like he could burst out of his skin. He was not only out of the courtroom, but he would be seeing Gibbs in less than twenty minutes.

"Alright. See ya then." Gibbs hung up his phone with a slightly gentler flip shut than normal.

Tony pulled into the yard a few minutes before five. He practically bounced into the elevator, eager to get to the bullpen. When he walked around the corner of their cubicles, he found Ziva gathering her things.

"Ahh! There you are! How was court?"

Tony put his stuff down on his desk, and flipped his monitor on. "Long and aggravating. Happy to be home."

"You should come out for a drink. Unwind a bit," Ziva offered with an almost flirty smile.

Tony tried not to flinch. "I probably shouldn't. Gotta write up today's forms. If I put it off, Gibbs will kill me."

On cue, Gibbs walked past Tony's desk, heading for his. "Damn right, DiNozzo!"

Ziva raised her eyebrows and cringed. "Well then, have a good evening. I am looking forward to tomorrow night."

Tony tried to smile, but didn't look up from his computer. "Yeah, we're going to prove a thing or two to the Probie."

"I do believe we can beat the pants off of them."

Tony looked up at her, impressed that she hadn't botched the idiom, despite it reminding him of something his grandmother used to say. "Hey! Look at you! You got one right! By George, I think she's got it!"

Gibbs gave Tony his most un-amused expression. "DiNozzo, _you're_ going to get it if you don't finish that report."

Tony ducked his head, trying to hide his smile. "Got it, Boss. G'night, Zeevah!"

"Goodnight, Tony, Gibbs." She nodded at her boss, and flashed a smile at Tony that he didn't see, then headed for the elevator.

Once Tony was sure she was gone, he leaned back in his chair, running his hands down his face. He looked over at Gibbs to find him staring at him.

"This is a mess, Gibbs."

"I know. You have to talk to her, Tony." Gibbs' voice was soft and encouraging.

"I'll have to plan something for Thursday night. Tomorrow is team night, Friday is the bachelors' party for Trevor and Mark, and Saturday is their wedding." Tony felt horrible. He knew that this had gone on way too long.

"Sounds like a good idea," Gibbs said, eyes gazing into Tony's, wishing he could fix this for him.

Tony nodded. "You're coming tomorrow night, right?"

Gibbs saw Tony's whole demeanor change with the question. He was suddenly happier, and almost playful. Gibbs smiled, and looked back at his computer. "Was planning on it."

"Good! I'm going to hold you to that." Tony flipped open a folder and chanced a glance back up at Gibbs, to find that Gibbs was chancing a glance back.

They both went back to their paperwork after exchanging a smile, and sat happily in the silence while they worked. Tony finished his first, and took the folder to Gibbs. "You heading out soon?" he asked, wondering if there was a chance that he could weasel dinner out of the man in front of him.

"Not for a while. Gotta get this done if I'm going to be out of here at a decent time tomorrow." Gibbs looked up with a ghost of a smile.

Tony nodded. "Anything, I can do?"

"Yeah, DiNozzo. Go home! You're distracting me!" Gibbs' voice was playful, and his smile genuine. It made Tony grin broadly.

"Fine! I see how it is!" Tony's voice was just as playful, if not seductive. "You'll miss me when I'm gone though!" He turned off the lamp, and picked up his stuff. "Goodnight, Gibbs!" he called over his shoulder.

"Goodnight, DiNozzo," Gibbs called back. He discreetly watched Tony head towards the stairs, taking in his figure. Part of him considered inviting Tony over later. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to handle hanging out with him tomorrow around the whole team if he didn't do something to relieve the barely contained attraction.

He stared at his computer screen blankly for a while as he thought. This was much more than an attraction. This was something else entirely. He didn't want to rush it, and chance ruining the most important relationship in his life. He'd finally managed to get it through his thick skull that loving someone else didn't mean that he stopped loving his girls. They had told him that while Tony's lips were pressed against his, trying to bring him back from the edge after almost drowning. When he had woken up, he had their voices in his head, telling him that it was okay to move on.

He had wanted Tony, but didn't think the younger man would ever be comfortable enough to consider having a relationship with a man, so he had forced the idea from his mind. Ryan had been good for him, but she was missing the history, the connection that he shared with Tony. When she walked away, he saw it as a sign. He spent the summer testing the waters with Tony, and now here they were. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he knew one thing for certain- tomorrow night, he was going to make sure Tony knew _exactly_ how he felt.

Wednesday went by in a blur. Tony ended up going through a stack of cold case files while Gibbs was in MTAC, and McGee continued on the evidence for Balboa's team with Abby. Ziva spent most of the day in the gym, and then had her yearly eval with the NCIS shrink. He didn't envy her. That was probably his least favorite day of the year, every year, for the past ten years running.

Abby came up from the lab, dragging McGee with her by the arm, wearing a black tee with a white outline of an eight-ball on it, and a pleated black skirt. "We're finished with processing all of the evidence for Balboa, and we're here to officially announce that we're going to kick your ass tonight!" She was excited and bouncy, her pigtails bopping back and forth. Tim smiled smugly at Tony.

Ziva came up and dropped her duffel on her desk. She had changed into tight jeans, and a tight white tee with a black sweatshirt jacket over it, sleeves pulled up. "I seriously doubt that. We plan on wiping the floor with you." She came and leaned against Tony's desk, a playful smile on her face.

"Wow! That makes two in a row, Zee! Very nice!" He turned his good humor on Abby and McGee. "And she's doubly right, because we are going to kick your asses so hard you won't be able to sit for a week." Tony's smack talk earned him a smack in the back of the head.

"Hey, Boss! You coming? I thought you'd be stuck in MTAC forever!"

"Said I was coming, DiNozzo. Just going to stop by the house first. I'll see you all there."

"Nice! I think this is the first time we haven't gotten- no. You know, I'm not going to say it. I'm just going to leave before something can- yeah, I'm going to leave. Let's go!" Tony got to his feet and jogged towards the elevator, the rest of the team at his heels. Gibbs joined them before the doors opened, and they all crammed in together.

"Should I stop and get us anything, Tony?" McGee asked.

"Nope. All set Probie. Hit the store last night. Got plenty of beer, munchies, and I'll order pizza when we get there." The doors opened in the garage, and they all filed out, heading in different directions to their cars. Tony had taken to parking in the same area of the lot as Gibbs so that always knew whether or not Gibbs was there when he arrived and left. Gibbs hadn't said anything about it, but he had definitely noticed.

"No dawdling, Gibbs! If I have to come drag you out from under the work table, I'll be pissed!" Tony flashed him a bright smile.

Gibbs laughed quietly. "Well, we can't have that, now can we DiNozzo?"

"It's not a matter of "can" I get pissed, it's a matter of whether or not you'll _live_ through me being pissed!" Tony nodded at him, and got into his car. Gibbs shook his head and chuckled before getting into his own. He was well aware of what Tony was like when he was really mad, and he'd rather not be on the other end of that.

Gibbs pulled up to his house and sat outside in his car for a few minutes lost in thought. He had wanted to come home to change his clothes. He smirked to himself. As he considered it, he wasn't sure if that was the best idea. Abby might pick up on it if he got gussied up. He couldn't believe he was worrying about what he was going to wear to begin with. Tony had a way of flipping his world on its axis. He smirked, and got out of the car. He was definitely changing.

Stepping through the door, he looked around briefly before heading up the stairs. He stripped down and got into the shower, washing away a day in MTAC, and letting the hot water relax his tension away. He leaned his hands against the tile for a moment while the sudsy water coasted down his back.

There wasn't a single doubt in his mind that this was what he wanted. It had been on his mind for a while, and he'd dealt with his fears about rule twelve, his insecurities about their age difference, and he had spent the summer trying to reaffirm with Tony just how important the younger man was to him. It was time. They were ready.

He got out, and got dressed. He pulled on his faded blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a white button down. He automatically tucked it in, but once he was in front of the mirror, he un-tucked it and rolled his sleeves up. He looked at himself curiously in his reflection, and then began chuckling, leaning against the dresser. He was nervous. He hadn't been nervous on a date since Shannon.

Tony had been changing his life since the day they had met. Now, for the first time since his early years with his first love, his stomach was flip-flopping at the simple idea of hanging out with the younger man. He knew it was so much more than that, but he was trying not to get ahead of himself.

Gibbs slipped into his socks and shoes. He contemplated whether or not to put on a sweatshirt since it was getting cooler at night. He decided to grab his windbreaker from the coatrack instead. He headed out his front door and down the walk with a bounce in his step and smile on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this excited.


	3. Chapter 3

_Okey dokey- here's the million dollar question: Do I keep going? I'm leaning towards stopping. This was supposed to all fit in one nice little one shot when I started it, but that's how Out of the Basement started too, and 200,000 words later, I'm planning another 100,000 soooooo… your feedback is crucial! Let me know what you think! :)_

_This is unbetaed! The many mistakes are all my own :D_

Chapter 3

Tony had arrived at his condo a few minutes before everyone else, and slipped into jeans and a t-shirt. He washed his face, and looked in the mirror. He wasn't sure if he was dressed right. He layered a dark green, half-zip sweater over his tee, and decided that it worked.

He heard rhythmic knocking at the front door, and hollered that it was unlocked. Ziva, Tim and Abby shuffled in, closing the door behind them. Abby bounded over happily to hug him. "Looks like the place is really coming together, Tony!" Abby greeted. "Didn't think you'd ever get everything unpacked alone."

"Wasn't _all_ alone, Abs."

"I can't imagine Gibbs was more help than a few, 'This go here, DiNozzo?'s and a head slap after the third attempt to hang the TV symmetrically with the couch," Abby joked.

"Please. You know Gibbs. We had the TV hung right the first time." He flashed her a bright smile, and she punched his arm lightly while Ziva and Tim laughed behind her.

"Alright people! Let's get the munchies and beer, and head on down. Pizza guy should be meeting us there any minute." Tony opened a cabinet and handed a grocery bag with a couple of bags of chips in it to Ziva while Abby opened the fridge and started handing off stuff to McGee. Tony grabbed the beer cooler, and they all headed out the door to the clubhouse.

They met the delivery driver on the sidewalk outside, and Tony passed off the beer to sign for it, then followed everyone inside. They sat down around the countertop bar passing slices around, drinking beers and laughing at jokes and stories.

When they heard the door open, they all turned to see Gibbs entering. Tony stopped chewing to gawk at him, grateful that everyone else was too distracted with their greetings to notice.

"Hey, Boss!" Tim shouted.

"Hello, Gibbs," Ziva chimed in.

Abby hopped off her stool and greeted him with a hug. "Gibbs! You're dressed up! Or, rather, dressed down. It's hot!"

"Hiya, Abs." Gibbs kissed Abby on the cheek. He looked past her to his team, his eyes resting on Tony's.

"Beer, Boss?" Tony turned to grab a cold one from the cooler behind him.

Gibbs joined them at the bar, and took the offered beer with a smile. Conversation started up again around them. It was lighthearted and fun. Gibbs found it refreshing that they managed to generally stay away from talking about work.

At one point, he looked up to find Tony staring at him. He smiled and looked away. He was glad he had changed. His attention was distracted when Tim and Abby began racking up the balls on the pool table.

Ziva looked at Tony. "I believe the challenge has been made."

Tim raised his eyebrows at Tony, confirming in a cocky manner. "Your break."

Gibbs leaned back and watched them play while he worked on his beer. He tried (and failed) to resist ogling Tony's ass as he bent over the table. With every turn Tony took, he found himself drinking deeply from his bottle, licking his lips, and forcing himself to concentrate on the game.

All four of them played well, but Tony was right- Ziva was a shark. When he'd barely made it through a few games of watching Ziva constantly glancing at Tony and touching him casually, the older man decided that he'd had enough.

"Ziva- you and me." A round of _OooOoos_ came from around the circle.

"You are on," she said, meeting his gaze with narrowed eyes and a smile, unaware that the nature of the game had just changed. This was no longer just a friendly game- this was a lesson.

Tim and Abby put their cues back in their rack. Tony stepped over to Gibbs, and handed him the cue he had been using with a devilish smile. "Show her how it's done, Boss," Tony's voice was low and flirty, his eyes conveying a message that had nothing to do with pool. He'd been watching Gibbs become progressively jealous of Ziva's flirting as the night went on, and it sent a thrill running through him. Every time Ziva had brushed his arm, or bent a little too low for her shot, he could feel Gibbs bristling from across the room, and he loved it.

Gibbs smirked and handed Tony his beer. He put his hand on the small of Tony's back, letting his fingers run across it as he walked past him.

Abby watched the moment from across the room, and her eyes widened before quickly looking away. She had wondered whether or not she had been imagining the growing chemistry between the two men over the summer. She had asked Tim and Ziva about their changing bond, but they both had come back with very bland answers. What she just saw was definitely more exciting. There was no doubt in her mind that something was going on between them that went beyond friendship. It suddenly made Gibbs' challenge all the more thrilling, knowing that it wasn't about who had game at the table, but instead, who had _game._

Gibbs stared at Ziva as she racked up the balls. He moved to the table, waiting for her to lift the wooden triangle. When she hung it on its hook and nodded at him, he bent over the table to break. The balls went scattering around the table. The one, seven and five balls, all solids, ran towards pockets, seeking shelter from the unfolding confrontation. Ziva looked up at him and dipped her head graciously. Gibbs smirked and moved around the table, figuring his angle. He tapped the cue ball just right so that it jumped over the ten ball it was next to, and knocked the six into the corner pocket.

"Are you going to let her have a turn, Gibbs?" Abby joked, the sass in her voice letting him know that she knew what he was up to.

Gibbs shook his head. "No way in hell." Everyone laughed, but him. He looked up at Tony for a moment, who took a long drink of Gibbs' beer in response. He smiled as he turned his concentration back to the table.

"I get to break next time, then." Ziva's voice was still pleasant, making it obvious to Gibbs that she had no idea about the secondary game being played.

He nodded, and cracked the cue ball between the two and four balls, making them propel in opposite directions, each landing in corner pockets on the same side of the table. He looked at the way the balls were positioned on the table and planned out his next shot. He was going to have to work around a lot of different balls in order to get to the three ball in the middle of the mess. He checked the markers around the table as he circled it, finding just the right angle to hit the solid white ball. He needed it to bounce off the side cushion, jump the nine ball, and make contact with the three. Ziva moved out of his way as he got in position to take his shot, watching to see what he did.

"Ten bucks says he does it," Abby leaned in to say to Tim.

"Don't do it, Probie! You'll be sorry."

"I never jump in while there are two sharks in the water, Tony. I'm not that stupid." Tim's voice would have meant he was rolling his eyes any other time, but at that moment, he was glued to the tip of Gibbs' pool cue, waiting for it to make contact with the ball. The room fell silent.

Gibbs squinted at the ball, willing it to do his bidding as he struck it low with the cue, giving it just a little twist. The ball jumped, bounced off of the edge of the cushion, and then jumped the nine ball as it hit the three ball hard enough to send it into the side pocket.

Abby whistled and clapped. Tim joined in the clapping for a moment, always ready to support her. Tony nodded with a broad smile. "Nice shot, Boss!" Gibbs took the few steps to where Tony was standing and stole his beer back for a drink, never breaking eye contact with the younger man. He handed him back the bottle, and turned back to the table.

Abby was trying not to boil over at the obviousness between the two of them. She noticed Tim was starting to look a little confused, and she reached over to rest a hand on his arm, shaking her head. She didn't want him to ruin the moment between the two men with a freak out. Tim's head snapped to look at her, eyes widening. She smiled and bent to whisper in his ear. "It's hot, you know it, so hush." She winked at him and leaned back, letting her fingertips run up the back of his neck discreetly to play with the very edges of his hair in that way that drove him wild.

Tim loved the way Abby's fingers brushed softly against him. She only did that when she really wanted something, and he knew what his reward would be if he complied. He calmed down immediately, and casually watched the game unfold. Once he was out of his panicked mindset, he had to agree with Abby. Now that he knew what the underlying game being played was, he felt the sexual tension that broiled between the two older men, and it did something for him. He would only ever admit that to Abby, but he would definitely admit it later, knowing that her not-so-inner kink loved to hear about it.

Ziva seemed to be the only one that couldn't see what was happening. Gibbs sunk the eight ball easily, calling the pocket and winning the game. Applause came up from around the room. Both Abby and Tim added whistles to the noise and Tony laughed. "I think I need another beer," Ziva said, leaning her cue against the wall with a chuckle and heading for the other side of the large room.

"That, ladies and gents, was the _Jaws_ of pool sharking. Next weekend we're taking Gibbs to that billiards bar on Tenth Street. Everyone find some betting money!"

"Don't think so, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, giving him a look to match.

"What? You don't want to come play with us, Boss?" Tony's voice was borderline seductive.

The obvious flirting made Tim turn and bury his head in Abby's shoulder as he stifled a groan. She let her fingers run up into Tim's hair, and pulled hard enough to make him sit up. She was loving every minute that Tim squirmed, but she was loving watching Tony and Gibbs flirt more. She wouldn't let him give away that they knew what was happening, and chancing that they would stop.

Gibbs had heard the tease in Tony's voice. He stepped forward and took the beer from Tony's hand again, drinking deeply before handing the empty bottle back to him. He leaned in and whispered in his ear. "You should get us another one."

The warm breath on Tony's ear made him shiver, and he fought to keep his eyes open. "Sure." Gibbs went back to the table to rack the balls. Ziva was returning to the table with her beer as Tony passed her on the way to get a fresh one for him and Gibbs to share.

Tony was tingling from head to toe. His pulse was pounding in his ears, and his heart was racing. He hadn't felt this much sexual chemistry with someone in years. He couldn't remember the last person that had him reeling like this. Part of him wanted everyone to leave so that he could have Gibbs to himself, and part of him wanted to draw this out for a while, enjoying the delicious thrill of it all.

He returned with the beer, and moved closer to the table. He stood next to Gibbs and took a drink from the bottle, then handed it to the older man, who took a drink and handed it back. There was something incredibly intimate about sharing a drink. Tony thought about how close it was to kissing, and took a deep breath. He didn't realize he was holding it until Gibbs leaned in and whispered in his ear again. "Let it out."

Tony immediately let the air out of his lungs and shuddered, feeling Gibbs' hand on the small of his back again. It stayed there as Ziva broke from the other end of the table. Tony realized that it was going to stay there until Ziva turned the table over to Gibbs. He secretly hoped she'd take her time wiping the damn thing clean so that he could relish in the touch for as long as possible.

Gibbs looked over at the man next to him, taking in the warmth tinted cheeks and dilated eyes. He looked past him to find Abby and Tim staring at them. Tim immediately looked back to the table, but Abby kept staring, raising her brows at him and giving him a smirk. He caught Tim glancing up at them again, but didn't miss the smile his youngest agent couldn't hide before looking back at the table.

He considered that for a moment. Abby and McGee knew what was going on, and they weren't showing any negative reaction. He tried not to think about Abby's reaction. The woman was a daughter to him, and he definitely didn't need to know the way her twisted brain was portraying all of this. McGee actually looked happy about it, too. Tony _definitely _understood what was going on. There was only one person in the room that wasn't getting it, and they really needed her to.

Ziva's break had designated her stripes. She had taken two of her own balls down, and one of Gibbs. She shrugged and circled the table, making the easier shot first. The next ball got tricky, and she banked it off of two walls in order to make her shot. Abby applauded her.

Gibbs took the bottle from Tony again for another drink, then handed it back. Tony had completely lost track of the game, lost in the touch on his back, the scent of the man next to him, and the need to concentrate on his breath if he wanted to keep breathing. He had been talking himself through the process, thinking, '_In, and out. In, and out.' _After a minute or two, that took on a whole new meaning and he wasn't breathing again. He drank from the bottle handed back to him, and smiled at Gibbs who smiled back, content to let the man next to him know that he was enjoying himself.

When Gibbs looked back to the table, Ziva was trying for an impossible shot. She had been walking around the table for almost five minutes, trying to figure out what angle to take it from while the rest of the room was focused on Tony and Gibbs. She cringed as the ball missed, and took out one of Gibbs' solids.

Gibbs let his land run across Tony's back as he moved towards the table, causing Tony to shiver. Tony moved to stand behind Abby, seeking shelter from Ziva who was moving towards him, hoping to take Gibbs' place at his side. Gibbs started knocking balls into the pockets, and Abby reached up to pull Tony down and whisper in his ear.

"When were you going to tell me!?" She demanded in a whisper.

"Tell you what?" Tony asked innocently.

"About you and Gibbs!"

"There isn't anything to tell. Yet." Tony whispered back, just loud enough that Tim could make it out. The three of them sat together, smiling, as they watched Gibbs clear the table easily. Ziva congratulated Gibbs on his win as the three of them cheered. Tony leaned in to Abby and whispered in her ear. "You've gotta get her out of here, Abs. I'll do anything."

Abby turned and looked at him with mischievous eyes. "Fine. But I want dinner and lots of juicy details. And soon." She turned to the man next to her, and whispered in his ear. "Come on, Timmy. Take me home."

Tim was on his feet before he could think. "Well, it's getting late. I think I'm going to get Abby home."

Tony headed to start picking up the mess, and Gibbs joined him. "I'm glad you guys came so that we could kick your asses," Tony shouted over his shoulder at them.

Gibbs reached up and head slapped him. "It takes both kinds of smarts, DiNozzo." Gibbs was standing behind Tony and off to the side. He reached up and tapped the side of the younger man's head with his fingertips. "It takes these skills, and this" his other arm came around to Tony's stomach to lay a hand there, trying not to notice the way the man quivered against him. "And this intuition." He backed away from Tony regretfully. "That's why you guys work so well as a together. You have a great balance between the two."

Tony looked up at Gibbs with a small smile and squinted eyes, taking in the praise. "Thanks, Boss."

"Come on, Ziva, we'll walk you out," Abby encouraged.

"I think I'm going to stay and help clean up. You guys go ahead." Ziva looked up at Tony suspiciously, playing with her necklace.

"Don't worry about it, Ziva. We got this. Go ahead and get home. I gotta talk to the Boss about something anyway. Thanks for coming tonight. It was a lot of fun." Tony said over Abby's shoulder as he received his goodbye hug. For emphasis, he moved to give Ziva a small hug goodbye after Abby finally let him go. Ziva was caught a little off guard, first by the dismissal, and then by the embrace.

"Okay. Are we still on for tomorrow?" she asked.

"As long as we don't get a case," Tony answered. He had made plans with Ziva to grab dinner at one of Abby's favorite diners. He had it planned so that if things got too awkward, he'd text Abby, and she would come down and conveniently run into them. He didn't know what to do if he lost Ziva's friendship; it meant a lot to him. He decided not to worry about it for now. He had something better to think about, after all. He showed Abby, Ziva and Tim out to the parking lot. Abby gave him one more hug and whispered in his ear, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Tony whispered back, "I'm pretty sure there's not much on that list, Abs!"

Abby stepped back and winked at him. "Exactly!" Tony shook his head, but laughed. He waved and headed back inside, locking the door behind him.

Gibbs had finished cleaning up the mess and had an empty beer bottle sitting on the pool table. There was a ball sitting on top of it, and four others in a straight line in front of it. He smiled as he flicked the cue and sent each ball flying over the ball on the bottle, successfully pocketing them. The last ball took the one on top of the bottle with it, knocking it into the opposite corner pocket. Tony's eyebrows were raised as he watched, impressed with the trick. He had no idea that Gibbs could play so well. "That's pretty sweet."

Gibbs smiled. "Learned in Russia from a kid in the mafia family Jen and I were working on. He was kind of a McGee. Had graduated early, but his folks wouldn't let him leave for school. Wanted to use him for the family business. He wanted out. We'd catch up in this seedy bar, play for a while, use it to hide what we were really talking about, and eventually, one of our contacts was able to get him out of the country on his eighteenth birthday."

"You're telling me, that a seventeen year old _mafia son_, taught you how to play pool in Russia?"

Gibbs chuckled and nodded.

"And here I thought that _I_ had lived a crazy life." Tony had come to stand right next to Gibbs, leaning against the table. He handed Gibbs his beer, and the man took a drink with a smile. "Will you show me how you made that bouncing bank shot from the first game?"

Gibbs nodded and took the empty beer bottle off the table. He set up a few balls to mimic the situation he had earlier, and then handed Tony a cue. Tony took it and bent over the table, trying to figure out how Gibbs had done it earlier. That's when he felt Gibbs' body press against his from behind, bending forward to see things from Tony's angle. Gibbs' arm moved alongside Tony's cue, and he pointed to the exact spot on the ball that Tony would have to hit it in order to make the shot happen. His hand enveloped Tony's on the cue, and Tony was sure he was never going to breathe again. He was suffocating in the heat that had engulfed him inside out.

Gibbs whispered in his ear. "You'll need to hit it hard, sharp and short, twisting it just a little as you let go." Tony took the shot, and watched as the ball bounced over the ones in front of it, off the edge of the cushion, and then tap the correct ball hard enough to fall into the pocket. "See? Not too hard," Gibbs whispered.

Tony's voice came out low and rough, "I will be if you keep touching me like this."

"Hmm." Gibbs ran his hands down Tony's sides and slid an arm around his waist, still bent over the table, effectively trapping Tony against it, face first. "What about like this?" Gibbs asked, his mouth right up against Tony's ear.

Tony moaned happily, and moved to stand up. Gibbs let him, but didn't step back, his hand still on Tony's waist. The younger man turned in the embrace, and leaned back against the table, letting his green eyes get lost in the blue ones assessing him. Nothing was said as Gibbs leaned forward and found Tony's mouth with his lips. It started off as a tender, gentle, closed mouth kiss. Gibbs' hand moved to the side of Tony's head, slipping back into his soft hair as the kiss deepened, Tony opening his mouth, inviting Gibbs' tongue in to play.

Tony's hands found Gibbs' waist and pulled him closer to him. Their bodies pressed against one another, sending shuddering sparks through Tony, and he gasped into the kiss. Gibbs pulled back to take in Tony's expression. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do that?"

"Probably not as long as I've wanted you to do it," Tony said softly.

"Since the day I met you, Tony."

Tony chuckled. "You mean we've wanted to kiss each other for ten and a half years, and we've been too chicken-shit to do it?"

"It's a lot more now. Means more. Means everything." Gibbs' words were spoken softly, but his eyes told Tony just how much he meant them.

Tony swallowed hard. "Yeah. It does."

"I want everything for us. Everything."

Tony nodded, feeling like the world had stopped spinning, and he and Gibbs were trapped in their own perfect moment. "Me, too."

Gibbs smiled at him and leaned in, whispering against his lips, "I'm going to start by doing everything I've ever wanted to do to you, and having you do everything you've ever wanted to do to me."

Tony groaned a little. "That's going to take a long time."

"I'm thinking years." Gibbs lips captured Tony's in a small kiss.

"More like a lifetime." Tony kissed him back softly.

"I like the sound of that, DiNozzo." Another soft kiss. "I like it a lot."

"Funny, so do I." Tony returned the kiss, letting it deepen. He gently teased Gibbs' lips with his tongue, asking for entrance and receiving it. Tony's tongue slid around Gibbs', twisting, turning and tasting everything it could.

Gibbs sucked on the new muscle in his mouth, greedy for its attention. He breathed through his nose as he could so that he wouldn't have to break the kiss. He never wanted it to stop. His hands found their way under the edges of Tony's shirt, and his thumbs caressed the skin above Tony's waistline, making the younger man shiver.

They finally broke the kiss. "You should come back to my place," Tony whispered. Gibbs shook his head, and Tony felt his heart drop. His head fell back in a groan. "Don't leave me hanging like this, Gibbs!"

Gibbs shook his head again, a wicked smiled forming as he leaned forward to whisper in Tony's ear. He loved the way it set the man in his arms on edge every time he did that, and the exhilaration was contagious. "I want you right here. Been watching you bend over this table all damn night." Gibbs' lips found Tony's neck, and began teasing it with light touches. "I want you bent over it again, only this time, I want you screaming my name."

Tony had just begun shuddering at the way Gibbs' warm breath tickled his ear, the words sending tantalizing images through his head, when Gibbs' teeth sunk into his neck, marking him. Tony groaned in pleasure and pulled Gibbs even closer to him, pressing the firm body as tightly against him as possible. "Fuck, yes!" he gasped as Gibbs began nibbling on his neck lightly, sending a series of tingles through his body.

Tony's hands were grasping handfuls of the back of Gibbs' shirt. He finally found enough coherence to let go and try to find the buttons at the front of it instead. He got a couple of them before Gibbs' hands began lifting Tony's own shirts up. They stepped apart while Gibbs disrobed him, and Tony's hands began working on the buttons again, finishing them and pushing Gibbs' shirt back over his shoulders.

Their lips found one another, and the kiss was relieving after their mere fifteen seconds apart. Tony scooted up onto the edge of the pool table, and bent into the kiss. His legs wrapped around Gibbs as he pulled on the man's white tee, and again, they separated, but only for a moment. The kiss resumed as Tony's hands ran down Gibbs' shoulders and arms, taking in the muscular form.

Gibbs' hands were running down Tony's chest and around to his back. His couldn't believe he was finally kissing Tony, and touching him like this. He had a ten year old fire burning in him, bursting out of control. The passion was like a volcano erupting. He clung hard to his lover, suddenly desperate to be closer.

There was an abrupt change within him. This wasn't just about _wanting_ Tony- no, it was about needing him. He needed him more than he'd needed anyone since Shannon. He had needed him in his life, and Tony walked into it, slowly managing to make his way through to him. Now, here he was, and Gibbs was going to make sure that Tony knew he wasn't going anywhere; that this was where the younger man belonged, right there in his arms. He needed him by his side forever.

Gibbs pulled back out of the kiss, gasping. His blue eyes found Tony's green eyes staring back at him intensely. His hand moved to caress Tony's cheek. Tony's eyes held a question as he reached up to take Gibbs' hand in his. Before he could ask it, Gibbs opened his mouth, and the words came out. "I love you, Tony."

Tony stared back in shock for a moment, and Gibbs felt the tightness in his chest as he couldn't take in a breath. Tony broke into a broad smile. "I think all I've ever wanted was to hear you say those words." Tony leaned forward and whispered in Gibbs' ear. "Breathe, Jethro." Gibbs gasped, and Tony pulled him close to his chest. "I love you, too," he said softly, with a happy sigh.

Gibbs pulled back and looked at Tony's face for confirmation. He saw it there, written clear as day. It somehow surprised him. He wasn't sure if it was because he wasn't expecting this to go so smoothly, if it was because of Tony's honest reaction, or if it was possibly because a little piece of him still couldn't believe _any_ of this was happening. Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. What mattered was that he had this delicious man in front of him, declaring his love in return, and he wasn't going to let the moment pass him.

Gibbs pulled Tony in for a kiss. This time, it was slow and heavy, laden with emotions that he had no idea how to convey otherwise. He pulled Tony down off of the table by his waist, his hands moving down into Tony's jeans, fingers dancing over whatever flesh he could find beneath.

Tony returned the kiss just as deeply. He had needed to hear those words said by someone who meant them his entire life, and Gibbs was the only person he'd ever need to hear them from again. He ran his hands down Gibbs' chest and stomach, reaching for his belt. He worked it open, feeling Gibbs' fingers working under the back of his jeans. The urgency returned, and Tony couldn't get Gibbs' pants off of him fast enough.

Gibbs let his fingers slide forward, around Tony's sides as they played with the skin under his waistband. He unbuttoned Tony's jeans, and moved his hands to Tony's shoulders, then broke the kiss to move to nibble on Tony's shoulder blade. He ran his hands down Tony's back, pushing the jeans down as he went. Grabbing Tony's ass in his hands, he jerked Tony forward against him, needing as much contact as possible.

Tony gasped as his cock met with Gibbs'. It was like lightning shooting through his body. He moaned as Gibbs bit hard on his shoulder, and relished in the idea of the older man leaving marks all over him, branding him as his own. He didn't want anyone else's mouth on him ever again. Gibbs' mouth was perfect for him.

Gibbs couldn't take it anymore. He needed more. He needed Tony. He reached two fingers up to Tony's lips, and shivered the tiniest bit as Tony took them into his mouth without hesitation. He loved how Tony sucked on them greedily, anxious to have them inside of him. Both men kicked their pants aside. Gibbs pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his tongue. The kiss lasted longer than he intended as they lost themselves in it, and he had to put his fingers back for a refresher.

When he took them back this time, Tony turned around and bent over the pool table, eager to be taken. He felt Gibbs' hand run down his spine, then felt the kisses following the pattern. It was so tender, so perfect. He felt the first finger breach him, and he groaned in pleasure.

Gibbs bit his lower lip, trying to keep his movements slow so that they didn't hurt his lover, but the way Tony began pushing back on his finger made that hard. He slipped the second finger in, relishing in how tight Tony's ass was. He wanted to replace his fingers with his excruciatingly hard and leaking cock, but he knew that he would hurt Tony if he did that too soon. He had learned from experience that you couldn't rush this process when as well-endowed as he was. He began scissoring his fingers as Tony thrust back, both of them moaning.

"Please, Gibbs! I can't take it anymore." Tony's voice was pleading, and Gibbs tried to resist.

"Tony, I don't want to hurt you."

"I can take it, trust me. Just do it!" Tony braced himself on the table.

Gibbs couldn't fight it anymore. He took the head of his cock and rubbed his precum over Tony's anus, teasing both of them. He finally pushed forward and felt Tony stretch to take him.

"Oh, God, Tony! You're so fucking tight!"

Tony was breathing heavily, feeling himself stretched more than anyone had ever stretched him. It had been years since he'd been with a man. He'd finally given up on them, knowing that if his soul mate was going to be a man, it was going to be the man inside of him. He reveled in the intensity of the moment. Gibbs wasn't moving, and Tony knew why. If he moved at that moment, they both would lose it.

After a minute, he felt Gibbs' hand on his lower back again, gently rubbing and knew what was about to happen. He braced himself, and licked his lips in anticipation. He took a deep breath, and forced himself to relax.

Gibbs felt the tension leave Tony's back where his hand was rubbing, and pushed forward, letting himself slip deeper and deeper into his lover. It was the most incredible sensation he had ever felt. His encounters with men had always been out of convenience. There had never been any emotions involved, and now he had all of these feelings attached to the incredible sensation of Tony around him, surrounding him. He thrummed from head to toe with an energy he only remembered ever experiencing with his first love. He knew then, that this was going to last forever. Tony wouldn't leave him; he'd stay and fight through it all. He felt Tony shaking underneath his hands, and realized that he had finally bottomed out, and had just been sitting there, letting the moment sink in.

Tony had felt the moment in his own way. He felt the tender ease that Gibbs had taken with him, and he fought his urge to thrust back against him. He'd always taken the pain with the pleasure, relishing in it just as much. The men he'd been with in the past hadn't ever shown an ounce of the care that Gibbs took with him. He found himself realizing that he had wanted that, had looked for it, and he hadn't found it until now. He knew that Gibbs was rather gruff, and had expected him to be just as much of a bastard with him as the rest of the world, and he'd anticipated that being something that came through during sex as well. He'd kind of wanted that, but for their first time together, it was going perfectly.

Gibbs finally began moving, pulling out slowly. He slid back in, enjoying the way Tony tightened around him. He was getting acclimated to it finally, and moved a little faster. He heard Tony moan in pleasure. It made him bite his lip again as he tried not to ravage him. He knew that day would come, but tonight, they needed something else.

Tony shifted on the table to get a better grasp as Gibbs thrusts grew in speed and strength. He found the perfect position so that he could hold on, and on Gibbs' next inward thrust, he hit Tony's prostate. Tony cried out in pleasure, almost coming with the sensation. "Fuck!" he whined. "Do that again!" Gibbs angled himself to hit Tony's prostate again and again. Tony couldn't see anything but the bright lights behind his eyes, and he couldn't think about anything but the way that Gibbs was taking him.

Gibbs bent over Tony, pumping into him, reaching to take his hands and intertwining their fingers. He wasn't going to last much longer. He felt the fire running down his spine, and pooling at the base. He knew that Tony was on the brink, and he wanted them tumbling over the edge together. When he realized he'd only be another few seconds, he spoke into Tony's ear.

"Come for me, Tony. Come with me, please!" He was gasping, struggling to hang on until he knew for sure that Tony would be with him as he fell over the abyss. When he felt Tony's sphincter tighten around him, and felt the shudder of the body under him, he let go. Both men screamed one another's names as if the orgasm ripped them from their throats.

Tony felt Gibbs' warm fluids filling him, and shuddered. It was a totally new sensation for him. He'd never let anyone take him bare before. Gibbs would be his first, and Tony knew, the only. It was amazing. His body shook violently as the orgasm kept rushing through him with intense aftershocks. He felt his fingers again, and realized that somehow, at some point, Gibbs had managed to take his hands. He squeezed the fingers, and felt them squeezed in return.

Gibbs nuzzled against Tony as he came around. He slowly stood up and pulled out of the younger man, letting him move. He watched as Tony got to his feet slowly, wincing as he straightened and reached his hands towards the ceiling. Gibbs heard Tony's back pop in a couple of places and cringed. He'd have to be careful about passing out post-orgasm like he had a habit of doing, if he was going to be on top of Tony on a hard surface. He smiled to himself as the thought crossed his mind.

Gibbs slipped his hands around Tony's waist, carefully avoiding the mess on Tony's stomach, and rested his chin on Tony's shoulder. "You feel okay?"

Tony's head turned to look at as much of Gibbs' face as possible. "Are you kidding me? I feel incredible!" Gibbs chuckled softly. "I mean, just had incredible sex, I'm in the arms of the man I love… the only thing that would make this better is if I didn't have cum running down my leg. I really need a shower, Gibbs." Both men laughed heartily as Gibbs let him go so he could find something to clean up with. He stepped into the clubhouse bathroom and did what he could.

When he came back out, Gibbs was dressed and packing up the few things to take back to Tony's place. He found his clothes sitting on the pool table. He slipped them on and grabbed the cooler. "You coming up?" Tony asked hopefully.

"Was planning on it," Gibbs said with a smirk.

"You staying, tonight?" Tony asked a little more tentatively.

"Was planning on it," Gibbs said with a chuckle. He leaned in and gave Tony a gentle kiss.

They left the clubhouse and headed back to Tony's unit. Tony announced he was going to go grab a shower, and Gibbs said he was going to go get his bag from his car. "Be back in a minute."

"You'd better be. I'll be the one snuggled up under the covers, waiting for you."

Gibbs nodded and Tony jumped in the shower. His phone started buzzing on the sink ledge while he rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. _That had better not be dispatch! _ he thought to himself. He finished rinsing and grabbed a towel. Drying an arm off, he finally snatched up the phone. He saw it was Abby and let it go to voicemail while he dried off. He heard the front door shut behind Gibbs, and headed for the bedroom. He slipped on a pair of boxers for comfort, and crawled under the blankets with his cell. He listened to Abby's voicemail and rolled his eyes. He replied with a quick text to tell her he was going to bed, and all of the "juicy details" would have to wait until later. He set his alarm, and turned off the light.

Gibbs came in a minute later and leaned against the doorframe, watching Tony get comfortable via the light from outside in the parking lot.

"You going to stare at the big comfy bed, or are you going to join me in it?" Tony joked. He saw Gibbs smile as he pushed off the doorframe to join his lover. He got under the comforter, and pulled Tony towards him, escaping from the real world in a mind-blowing kiss.

"Wow," Tony said. He saw something sad in Gibbs' eyes. "What's wrong, Gibbs?" Tony's heart beat a million miles an hour, and his stomach flipped in ways it never had.

"I gotta be in MTAC at 0300. My phone was in the car. Must have fallen out of my pocket. I only have a couple of hours until I have to get up and go." Gibbs looked defeated.

Tony looked at him in frustration, and then smacked him across the back of the head. "Don't scare me like that!"

Gibbs looked at him in surprised confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I thought you were going to say something horrible, like this couldn't work or something!" Tony's arm found its way back around Gibbs' waist, and pulled him close again.

"I thought you'd be mad that I have to leave." Gibbs looked strangely vulnerable suddenly.

"Well, yeah, it sucks, but it's not like it's your fault. I know the job, Gibbs. Hell, I _am_ the job, just as much as you. I get it. It's okay. I'll just enjoy how long we _do_ have." Tony leaned forward and planted a light kiss on Gibbs' lips, and found the older man's arms around him tightly.

"I love you, Tony. So much." Gibbs whispered in Tony's ear.

"I love you, too, Gibbs." Tony hesitated, not sure if he should say what he wanted to, but decided that he needed to. "You don't have to worry- I'm not letting you go, and I'm not going anywhere."

Gibbs shuddered under the weight of Tony's words. "It's going to take me a while to believe that."

"I plan on spending the rest of my life proving it." Tony couldn't look into Gibbs' eyes. He was holding onto Tony too tightly for him to move.

"It might take that long." Gibbs' voice was muffled against Tony's shoulder.

"Whatever it takes. For now, try to sleep. Long day tomorrow." Gibbs nodded softly, and Tony carded his hand through Gibbs' hair until the older man fell asleep holding him. Gibbs didn't loosen his grip much in his sleep, but it was enough that Tony could reach his phone and change the time on the alarm. He set it on Gibbs' side of the bed, and rested his head next to his lovers. He couldn't believe they were falling asleep together. They had been dancing around each other for so long, and he was glad their game of cat and mouse was finally coming to an end. He fell asleep feeling truly happy for the first time in his life, in the arms of the man he loved.


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay, y'all. Here's the end! Yay! Thanks you all soooooo much for the awesome encouragement with this story! The reviews, the follows, the favorites… y'all are awesome! I'm so glad you've liked this! I have a couple ideas for spin-off chapters, but Out of the Basement misses me, so I'm going to bury myself in that for a while before I come back to them. Thank you all so much for the love!_

_This is unbetaed, so all of those mistakes you find are my own. And if anyone catches the movie reference, and can tell me what it's from, I'll be so proud! _

Chapter 4

Tony woke up with the alarm blaring in his ear. At some point in their few hours of sleep, Gibbs had rolled over onto his back and pulled Tony with him so that he had his head on Gibbs' shoulder. Tony grabbed his phone and turned the alarm off, then set it back on the nightstand.

He took the time to marvel at being in Gibbs' arms. It was un-expectantly comfortable. Gibbs' hold was possessive and protective, something Tony could never remember feeling. He hoped silently that the feeling would last, and he would wake up every morning feeling that way.

His hand ran through Gibbs' hair gently, taking in the feeling of the short silver strands. He wanted to remember this moment forever. He took a deep breath, inhaling whatever scents he could recognize, and some he couldn't. The half-open window allowed the smells of early fall to blow in on a soft breeze. It mingled well with the smells of sawdust and the detergent that Tony had recently washed his sheets in.

Tony reached his head up to let his lips gently brush against Gibbs'. It caused the older man to finally stir, so he kissed him again, more fully. After a moment, Gibbs took a breath, opening his mouth a bit to welcome Tony's tongue as it tentatively traced his lips. As soon as Tony's tongue entered Gibbs' mouth, Gibbs raised his arms and wrapped them around Tony's neck and shoulders. Tony felt so much emotion for the man underneath him, and he poured it into the kiss, trying to communicate that this was the most intensely loved that he had ever felt.

The way he kissed Gibbs had the older man reeling. He felt everything that Tony was trying to tell him. He felt the passion, the need, the desperation for reassurance, and he felt the love. He felt the love rushing through his veins, and going deep into his bones. It was beautiful, intense, and the embodiment of everything Tony was to him, and gave to him. It was the doorway to everything that was good in his life. Tony's love for him was what had kept them by each other's' sides over the years. Tony had made him open himself up to let people in again. He was loyal, and trustworthy, and he smuggled joy back into Gibbs' life when he wasn't looking. He balanced him.

Tony finally pulled back from the kiss, breathing heavily and resting his forehead against Gibbs'. "If I don't stop now, you won't make it to work on time."

Gibbs groaned, knowing Tony was right. His eyes looked up into the green ones inches away. "You want to come over and continue this tonight after dinner with Ziva?"

"Either that, or you're coming back here. I'll leave that up to you this time." Tony rolled off of Gibbs and headed for the bathroom.

"Okay. My place then, whenever you're done. If I'm not there, just make yourself at home." Gibbs realized that he liked the sound of that, and smiled to himself, but let the idea drift in the back of his mind for down the line.

Tony came out of the bathroom to find Gibbs lying across the bed, waiting for him to get out so that he could get in the shower. "Fresh towels are in the closet in there. I'm going to try to catch a few more hours before going in. Long day ahead of us." Tony crawled back into bed as Gibbs stood up to stretch. Gibbs turned around and bent over Tony, kissing him gently.

"I'll see you later. Sleep well." Gibbs went to grab a quick shower, and when he came back out, Tony was already asleep. He got dressed quietly, and watched Tony sleep a minute before kissing his forehead and treading quietly out of the condo.

x-x-x

Tony woke up to his phone ringing a few hours later. He reached for it and looked to see who was calling. It was Gibbs. "Heya," he answered, still half asleep.

"Hey. Wasn't sure if you remembered to reset your alarm this morning. Thought I'd call to make sure before I had to go back in." Gibbs' voice was soft, but Tony could hear the air blowing that let him know that Gibbs was on a coffee run. Tony froze as he realized that he _hadn't_ set himself an alarm after turning Gibbs' off that morning.

"I'm glad you called. I totally forgot." Tony looked down at his phone. He would've slept another half hour if he had set his own, but he was grateful to have been woken up.

"Really? I just wanted an excuse to call you." Gibbs chuckled on the other end of the phone. The sounds in the background changed and Gibbs' voice was lower now, meaning he had re-entered the building.

Tony grinned shyly, despite being miles away from the man. "Really? _You _wanted to use the phone?"

"Well, yeah. It all depends on who's on the other end of it." Gibbs felt himself grinning as well. He was heading to autopsy to talk to Ducky about everything before they needed him back in MTAC. He bounded down the stairs as he talked to Tony, trying to keep his voice from echoing in the stairwell.

"I could be _really_ mean right now, and make this conversation _really_ interesting, but knowing my luck, you'd come across Vance right as we got to the good part." Tony's teasing made Gibbs chuckle again. He felt happy, and he wasn't sure what to think about it, so he decided to stop thinking and just enjoy it.

"I'm on my way to talk to Ducky. That okay with you?" Gibbs had exited the stairwell and entered the quiet hallway. He knew that Ducky was due in early to work on transporting the body from Balboa's case. It was one of the few things he was cleared to do since his heart attack, since it didn't require lifting the body himself.

Tony was taken aback at the question. "Well, yeah. Everyone else pretty much knows, so I'd expect him to know, too. I know you guys are pretty close. Makes sense."

Gibbs nodded and leaned against the wall outside of autopsy, waiting for the conversation to end before he headed in. "I thought so, too."

Both men got quiet for a minute. "Hey, Gibbs?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for asking me." Tony felt a little awkward saying it, but he had believed that the biggest hurdle in their relationship would be Gibbs getting past the idea of being able to order him around, and be in control of their lives. Tony had a natural inclination to give the man what he wanted and needed, but it was nice to know that Gibbs wouldn't abuse it.

"I want us to be equals, Tony. We're in this together. We have to be if this is going to work, and damn do I want it to work." Gibbs' voice turned soft and happy as his head fell back against the wall. He thought about what it felt like to fall asleep holding Tony in his arms, and wake up to the man's lips on his. He'd do anything and everything to make sure that they didn't mess things up.

"I want it to, too." They fell into a nice quiet again.

"I should probably go talk to Duck and get back to work." Gibbs' voice held a bit of a pout, at least as much as Gibbs' voice _could_, and Tony picked up on it.

"Don't worry, we'll be together tonight. We can work on the whole, "being equals" thing, then." Tony smiled as he reassured Gibbs coyly.

"Sounds good to me. See you soon." Gibbs waited for Tony to hang up first, and then headed into autopsy to talk to his friend.

x-x-x

Gibbs walked in to find Ducky sitting alone at his desk doing paperwork. Things had been somewhat estranged with the older man lately. He'd been bitter at odd times, and though Gibbs understood why, it was so unlike his friend, that he found himself wary around him. Everyone had tried to be patient with Ducky's mood swings, but Gibbs was having a hard time not taking them personally. He had put his foot down a number of times in the professional capacity, and he had finally admitted, that it echoed his personal concerns for his friend's well-being. Ducky wasn't sure whether or not to be more angry with him, or touched by the admission, and it had left them at an impasse.

"Got a minute, Duck?" Gibbs greeted as he approached him. It had been a while since they had spoken like this. Gibbs wasn't sure if that was by design, or just situational.

"Sure, Jethro. This can wait. What seems to be on your mind?" Ducky looked at Gibbs more warmly than he had for a month, and Gibbs couldn't hold back the small smile that crept over his face.

"I've got some news that I think you'll be interested in knowing." Gibbs pulled up a stool next to the desk and sat down.

"Oh? About?" Ducky's curiosity was piqued. He sat back in his chair, waiting for Gibbs to gather his thoughts.

"Tony and I…" Gibbs broke out into a bright smile. Ducky leaned forward in excited anticipation, and put a hand on Gibbs' knee, his own expression suddenly full of happy awe. "We're together, Duck."

"Jethro! That is wonderful news! You've wanted this for so long. I'm very, _very_, happy for you my friend."

Gibbs nodded his thanks. "We've gotten so close this summer, and last night, the team got together for some pool at his place, and we finally… dealt with it."

Ducky watched Gibbs' body language as he spoke. There was no doubt in Ducky's mind that his friend was happy, and that made the older man stare in wonder. "Jethro, you look- you look like a man in love."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, but his smile never faltered. He let his head fall forward, looking at his hands folded between his knees. "I am."

"And Anthony?" Ducky prodded gently.

"Crazy kid loves me, too."

Ducky beamed at him. He stared at Gibbs as he thought, and his expression changed to sorrow. "I feel I owe you an apology, Jethro. I have been rather distant, and on more than on occasion, abrasive in these past few months. Time was, you would have discussed this with me sooner. I feel my self-absorption has deterred that, and I must say that I deeply regret it. I'm grateful that you've let me in on your happiness."

Gibbs looked up so that his eyes met Ducky's. "I'm just glad you're okay, Duck."

"I understand that that is what you wanted all along, my friend. I just had to get over that stubborn streak that every old man goes through when they find out that their life really is a fragile thing. I'm getting a second chance. I was afraid that I had lost my second chance with our friendship."

"Nah, Duck. Was just waiting for you to cool down, giving you time. I don't think we're gonna get rid of each other that easily." Gibbs grinned and shrugged.

"This is a time of second chances for the both of us then. May we not be so blind to our fortune this time."

Gibbs nodded and got to his feet. "The rest of the team pretty much figured it out last night, besides Ziva. Tony's breaking the news to her over dinner tonight."

"Oh, dear. That _is_ the fly in the ointment, isn't it?" Ducky looked at Gibbs over his glasses. "Do you believe that this will become a problem?"

"You mean at work? I really hope not. I don't see Ziva letting it interfere, but her friendship with Tony might be shaky for a while." Gibbs' voice has gone sad as he stared at the wall across the room. He could foresee the tension that would probably happen at work for a while, and found himself praying that Ziva would get over this quickly, and be happy for them. Her friendship with Tony wasn't the only relationship he was worried about. He suddenly felt like he should be there for the conversation as well, despite what it meant he may have to do. Talking about feelings wasn't his favorite thing in the world, but he felt that he should be there.

"Whatever happens, I know you'll be there for both of them." Ducky stood up and rested his hand on Gibbs' shoulder.

"Thanks, Duck. Gotta get back to MTAC." Gibbs nodded at him and turned to leave.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs turned around as the doors swished open.

"Would you and Anthony perhaps want to get some dinner this weekend?"

Gibbs smiled at the gesture. "I'm game. I'll check with Tony."

Ducky smiled back. "Excellent."

"See ya later, Duck." Gibbs headed to MTAC feeling relieved about where he stood with Ducky, but his worry about Ziva's reaction was tenfold. He had to push it all aside to concentrate on the issues in MTAC, though, and that made him aggravated.

x-x-x

Tony had gotten to work a little early in hopes of catching a few minutes alone with Gibbs, but he had no luck. When McGee showed up, Tony smirked, and was surprised when all he got was an overly cheery 'good morning' and similar smirk in return. He really wanted to tease the probie about his evening with Abby, but he knew that wouldn't be fair when McGee couldn't tease him back. As he considered it, he was actually kind of concerned that McGee _would_ return fire, considering he was always so much more confident after a night with Abby. Those nights were becoming more frequent these days, and Tony wondered how long it would be before they became a permanent fixture in Tim's life.

Ziva stopped off at her desk before going to the gym for the class she'd been working with all week. She was frazzled, running a little behind schedule, but managed a 'good morning' and smile at Tony. He played it down, and after she left, groaned in exasperation.

McGee wheeled his chair over to Tony's desk and sat down. Tony looked up, giving him a confused look, and McGee's eyes met his. They fit the serious expression he wore, and reminded Tony of the look the probie got during interrogations. "You have to tell her, Tony. You can't keep this up."

Tony's eyebrows rose. "For your information, I _am_ telling her- tonight. That's what the dinner plans at that diner Abby's always dragging you to are about. I'm going to sit her down, and tell her that I'm spoken for, and she needs to be careful whose toes she's stepping on."

McGee smiled and opened his mouth to say something, but Tony cut him off. It was only fair that if McGee got to get involved with his relationships, that he could return the favor. "So, how did last night go with Abby? You guys have fun?"

"Did you and Gibbs?" McGee asked, giving him a cheeky smile.

Tony felt a swell of pride at McGee's boldness. He knew that he was partially to blame for it, and he was glad to have influenced the kid. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know, Probie. Trying to earn kinky points with Abby? Next thing you know, she'll be trying to get you to snoop for the dirty details." Tony's voice was quiet and low.

"That is definitely a 'yes'." McGee smirked at Tony, and stood up to wheel his chair back to his desk before he crossed a line he wasn't safe crossing at work.

Tony watched McGee suspiciously as he went back to his desk. He'd known that Abby would get McGee to poke around for him. He shook his head and went back to his computer, eager to get the day over with.

x-x-x

About three o'clock, Gibbs came down from MTAC and rounded the corner to the bullpen. He noticed that neither McGee or Ziva were at their desks. He stopped in front of Tony's and the younger man looked up. They both smiled brightly at each other. Tony noted how tired Gibbs looked after barely sleeping, and then being in the dark room upstairs all day. "Coffee?" Tony asked with a hopeful gaze.

Gibbs smiled and nodded. Tony grabbed his jacket, gun and badge and they made their way to the elevator. Once inside, the doors closed, Tony noticed how fidgety Gibbs was. He reached over and flipped the switch. "What's wrong?" His green eyes looked up into the blue ones to see the worry there.

"Do you think I should be there with you when you talk to Ziva tonight?" Gibbs' question was unexpected, and Tony thought about it for a minute.

"Part of me says 'yes', and part of me says 'no'. I… want you there. I just don't know if Ziva will want you there once I tell her. It's kind of personal. If the roles were reversed, I'd feel pretty overwhelmed with both of us there. Does that make any sense?"

Gibbs let out a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. I just…" Gibbs leaned against the back wall of the elevator.

"You're worried about what's going to happen with the two of you; about what will change, once she finds out that you're who I'm with."

Gibbs nodded. "Since Abs and Tim figured it out right away, there isn't really a good way to keep this under wraps. I'm just happy Abby hasn't sent out a memo."

"It's bad enough that she asked McGeek to try to get details." Tony chuckled, leaning up against the wall next to Gibbs, who groaned.

"Tell me she didn't."

"I'm pretty sure she did. Not positive, but if not, she's wearing off in ways I don't want to think about on McTimmypoo." Gibbs shot Tony a look at the new nickname, rolling his eyes as he looked away. Tony continued. "Look at it this way- if I tell Ziva, and she goes ballistic, one of us has to be healthy enough to take care of the other. We can't both spoon-feed one another if she's broken both of our necks. And ribs. And arms. And well just beat the living shit out of us."

"Gee, thanks, Tony. That certainly makes me feel a lot better."

"Anytime, sexy!" Tony reached forward and flipped the switch as Gibbs chuckled.

They got a couple of cups of coffee while they discussed possible outcomes of telling Ziva. The best case scenario that they could come up with was that she would be upset, but happy for them because she cared about them both. The worst case scenario was that she was secretively a vengeful shrew, and would run straight to Vance to blab about their relationship out of jealousy.

"What do we do if Vance does find out about us?" Tony asked.

"Well, what would you want to do?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"Hypnotize him to look the other way? Hire a couple of wranglers to go upstairs and beat the shit out of him?" Gibbs gave Tony a reproachful glance, but not quite a glare. "Think you might be going soft on me, Boss. Fully expected a head slap with that one." Tony jumped back to avoid the oncoming attack and laughed, which made Gibbs smile. "That's what I wanna see!"

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"You, smiling like you're happy." Tony moved back into position next to Gibbs and looked over at him. The older man stared back.

"I'm really happy, Tony."

That made Tony feel shy suddenly. "Me, too." He stopped outside of the building, and looked directly into Gibbs' blue eyes. "You know that Ziva would never turn her back on the team, right? We're her family as much as she's part of ours. She's going to be hurt for a while, but she'll get over it. She'll adjust- that's what Ziva does."

"She's already adjusted to so much. I just really wish that we weren't the cause of it. People can only bend so far until they break."

Tony nodded and smiled. "Gibbs, I seriously doubt that me telling her I'm not in love with her will break her."

"It would've broken me." The words slipped out before Gibbs had even thought them. Tony stared at him like a deer in headlights. He felt like someone had dumped cold water on him. Gibbs? Breakable? Tony knew that he'd be lost without Gibbs in his life. He had never considered that Gibbs could be lost without him.

"I don't even want to think about the possibility that this might not have happened," Tony's voice was quiet and choked.

"Thankfully, we don't' have to." Gibbs gave Tony an encouraging smile. "We are doing this, and I'm going to do everything I have to do to keep from messing it up."

Tony's breath was coming in quick short flutters. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"That's what elevators are for, DiNozzo."

Tony grinned, and caught up with Gibbs, who had turned immediately and headed into the building. They made their way to the elevator and got in. Someone else was waiting with them, getting on as well. Tony sighed, and reached to press the button for the bullpen. Gibbs stopped him with a look and a little headshake. Tony looked at him curiously, but stepped back. They stood silently while the elevator passed their floor and went to the next one, letting the other person off.

Once the doors closed, Gibbs hit the button and quickly turned, pinning Tony against the wall, and kissing him hard. Tony's right hand went around the back of Gibbs' head, kissing him back for all he was worth. Their tongues slipped and slid around one another until they couldn't breathe anymore. They finally pulled apart, gasping, but still clinging to each other. Gibbs' forehead fell against Tony's while they caught their breaths.

"So- that's what elevators are for?" Tony asked playfully between breaths.

"Apparently," Gibbs replied with a chuckle. The laughter didn't stop, and Gibbs rested his head on Tony's shoulder. Tony laughed and held him close. He'd never seen Gibbs have a laughing fit, and it warmed him deeply. He realized that Gibbs was opening up to him, and it made Tony feel incredible.

"I can't believe we're making out in the elevator," Gibbs finally choked out as he straightened, and rubbed his eyes.

Tony watched his lover in amazement. "Seeing you so happy…" His voice trailed off.

Gibbs stopped, and really looked at Tony. He saw the bright green eyes of the man he loved, shining, and his lips parted midsentence.

"I think this is a moment I want to remember for the rest of my life."

Gibbs started a bit at that. "The first time we kissed in the elevator?"

"No." Tony shook his head slowly. "I'm not really sure how to put it." Tony paused, trying to find the words, and Gibbs, for once, waited patiently. "Abby would probably say it's a "happily ever after" moment. Something just feels powerful right now. I've never been this happy, Gibbs, and I've never seen _you_ this happy. It's like the nightmare is over. My whole life, I've been told, and I've believed, that I'd be alone forever… that being single for the rest of my life is what the cards held for me; that I didn't deserve someone's love. It's like someone is finally giving me substantial evidence that that was all just a lie. Your happiness is my proof Gibbs. It's the proof I needed to believe this is real, and it is, and I…"

Gibbs watched Tony as he talked, and realized that something was definitely different about him. His eyes had lost that haunted look that Gibbs had seen growing darker and darker over the years. When Tony rambled, Gibbs listened, feeling the words echoed in himself. He had believed, for so long, that true happiness was far from possible. He had had it once. Ducky was right- this was a second chance. He pulled Tony away from the wall, and into his arms. Tony held him back tightly.

"Don't let me go, Gibbs." Tony felt the strong arms tighten around him as much as they could with coffee in Gibbs' hand.

"I won't, if you won't."

"Never. It's going to be a hell of a journey, but we're gonna make it." Tony's voice was low and soft.

"Am I crazy for believing you?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"Not for believing me, just for loving me." Tony felt the air move on this neck from the swat to the back of his head, before he felt the actual slap.

"Right, Boss. Shutting up."

Gibbs pulled away to make eye contact again. "Damn insecurities. I swear, one day, I'm going to kick your father's ass."

"Now, see, _that_ is why I love you." Both men chuckled. "We should really get out of this box before we have the fire department called in. They've already pulled me out of here once this year, not eager for it to happen again."

"I'm surprised you'll even get in the damned thing," Gibbs said as he turned to press the button for the bullpen.

"Well, I was lured in here with the promise of a kiss, sooo…"

The doors opened, and Gibbs smirked as he got off of the elevator, Tony on his six wearing a huge grin. Tony headed to his desk. Gibbs checked his watch, and headed upstairs to MTAC. Tony tried to ignore the way McGee was grinning when he came back to the bullpen, but when the probie kept stealing glances at him, Tony took the bait.

"What's the deal McSmiles?"

McGee pointed to the computer, and Tony rolled his eyes as he turned back to his own. A message popped up almost immediately.

McGee02_: I was waiting ten minutes for the elevator from the lab earlier.  
Abs was keeping me company while I waited. Eventually gave up and took the stairs._

Tony groaned and let his head fall onto the desk. When he sat up, he started typing.

DiNozzo01: _It's not what you think. We had to discuss something._

McGee02: _Sure. Just thought you might want to pass on to Gibbs that Abby is going to suggest video surveillance in there to Vance. She's going to use the bomb as an excuse._

Tony turned to McGee. "No! That sneaky…" he knew that there was no way Gibbs would be able to talk Vance out of it. He would have to bribe Abby with something good. Or get Gibbs to glare at her.

McGee nodded at him with a smirk. "Yeah, she's going up there after work."

Tony got to his feet. This required immediate action. "Thanks, Tim! You're a real friend!" Tony ran to the staircase and bounded down to the lab, leaving McGee alone in the bullpen.

"Had to discuss something, my ass," he whispered with a smile.

x-x-x

Two hours later, Tony and Ziva were pulling up outside of _Standards_, the diner that Abby liked. Tony had asked Abby's help in picking out someplace casual to have the talk. Taking Ziva to restaurants he found most comfortable would have been a problem- they were all date places. They had low lighting, romantic seating arrangements, and quite a few would mean breaking out some Italian. He was going to save those places for nights with Gibbs. This place had a relaxed atmosphere, with bright lighting and an almost '50s appeal to it. He noted the big jukebox in the corner, and knew that Abby had probably played half of the songs on there at some point or another.

Ziva had discussed the class she'd been working with all week along the way. It was a woman's only class, and she felt that the woman leading it was putting too much emphasis on the moves that were easier for women to do, instead of pushing them to be as good as their male counterparts. Tony had made a couple of crass jokes about eye gouging and hair pulling. Ziva laughed. "Have I ever attempted to gouge your eyes out or pull your hair, Tony?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure you've wanted to plenty of times! Come on, Zee, admit it. You know you've wanted to gouge an eye or two out in your day."

"I much prefer the kick to the face. If I happen to be wearing heels that day, and gouge an eye, all the better." Ziva smirked as she looked out the window.

"I knew you had an evil streak, in you! Remind me to stay out of your hair when you're wearing heels."

"If that is all it takes, Tony, I will begin wearing them every day." Ziva's smile was a little more than playful.

Tony was grateful that the waitress came by and took their orders. They had the typical diner food, and Tony was looking forward to some greasy chili cheese fries. Ziva went somewhat lighter with the turkey club. When they were left alone again with their drinks, Tony leaned forward a bit, playing with his straw wrapper. He felt nervous, but he decided that the way Ziva had been looking at him since they got in the car together was all the more reason to just put it out there.

"I have something I have to talk to you about." Tony's eyes looked up at hers for a moment, and then back down at his wrapper. He was twisting it into a paper rope, and he realized that he probably looked like he was on crack because of how he was fidgeting. He took a deep breath, and put the wrapper down. He met Ziva's eyes again, now glowing with concern. That made Tony feel even worse, but he knew what he had to do. He started slowly, carefully choosing his words.

"After the bomb went off, and Gibbs took out Dearing, we all kinda decided that enough was enough, you know? There's this one life to live, and we have to take it, and make the best out of it. Abby is doing her thing with Kyle, and McGee told off the Admiral and is working on his next book, and you have all of your classes… Well, Gibbs and I have kinda taken that to heart this summer, too, and we've been spending a lot of time together."

Ziva looked at him curiously, still unsure of where the conversation was going.

"You know that he and I have been friends for a long time, now. I may annoy the shit out of him sometimes, and he may give me a concussion once a week, but we know when each other needs to talk. After the explosion, and Ryan leaving, Gibbs and I both needed someone to talk to, and we turned to each other. He asked me if I had plans of ever settling down, and I told him that I'd like to, but I just… I didn't see it as possible, at least not _with_ anyone. I'm not really husband material. He pointed out that settling down means a lot of things, not just getting married and starting a family, and next thing I know, I'm considering living away from the city… away from the noise, and the chaos, and the partying." Ziva nodded, looking more and more confused with every word.

"He helped me find a place, helped move me in, unpack… believe it or not, he actually _is_ capable of normal discussions! We had a lot of them this summer. I realized that, somewhere, at some point, Gibbs had become my best friend. And then, at another point, I realized he was more than that." Tony took a deep breath, exhaling sharply. "I'm in love with him, Ziva. And he's in love with me."

Ziva's mouth dropped open in shock. It moved as if though she wanted to speak, but she couldn't seem to bring her lips together. They were suddenly interrupted by the waitress sitting their food down. It broke the spell, and Ziva's mouth shut into a tight smile at the woman. Tony voiced their thanks, and then turned back to Ziva, trying to read what she was feeling in her eyes.

"This is-" She had to stop and clear her throat before speaking again. "This is really big news, Tony. I mean, I certainly never knew that you were interested in men as well as women. I have to say, Gibbs definitely surprises me more, but I was unaware that either or you… felt… this way about each other."

"Yeah. I got that feeling last night. Abby and Tim figured it out by the way Gibbs and I were acting, but I had wanted to tell you first, which is why I asked you to hang out tonight." Ziva took a bite of her sandwich. Tony could tell she was still pretty stunned. "I've never been this happy, Ziva. You're one of the most important people in my life. I really want to share that happiness with you." Ziva looked up from her sandwich met Tony's gaze.

"I want you to be happy, Tony. If Gibbs can give you that happiness, then I will support you both to the end. It just…"

Tony swallowed hard.

"I care a great deal about you, Tony. I care a lot about Gibbs, as well. I want nothing but the best for both of you. This is just very odd to me. I am going to need some time to understand it."

Tony let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Time. I can do time." He smiled broadly at Ziva, and then turned his attention on his chili fries. Ziva turned back to her sandwich, and they ate in silence for a few minutes. "You know, if you have any questions, you can ask me anything. I'll do my best to answer them truthfully."

Ziva glanced at Tony, and then out the window as she thought about the invitation to pry. Ziva finally smiled, and turned to Tony. "Have you always been interested in men, or is it just Gibbs?"

The question made Tony smile. That was the Ziva he knew and loved. "Pretty much always, but, honestly, once I met Gibbs… I wanted him. Plain and simple. When Wendy and I called things off, I was drawn to him even more, but never did anything about it. I was still pretty much a mess, and I had started to work at NCIS, under Gibbs. After a few months, I went on a couple of dates to get my mind off of things, and had dinner with this guy. He was pretty nice, and we got along, but the whole date, I just kept thinking about Gibbs. I knew that he'd pretty much ruined men for me. No one would ever live up to him, in my eyes. I gave up on men. It's safer to date women in this field anyway."

Tony chomped down a couple more fries. He looked back at Ziva, hoping she'd ask another question. He was rewarded with one he wasn't quite sure how to answer at first. "How long have you and Gibbs been together?"

Tony thought for a long moment. "We aren't exactly a traditional couple. We've been seeing each other all summer, but we were kind of scared to call it that. It was like dating without the kissing and romance. That has all changed this week." Tony smiled like a loon suddenly at the memory of the night before, and earlier in the elevator. He completely spaced out, thinking of Gibbs saying, 'I love you," for the first time, and the way he held Tony closer in the elevator when he asked the older man to never let him go. When his phone chimed, it startled him. Ziva chuckled. "Sorry," Tony said with a shrug, looking at the phone. It was Abby.

_Everything going okay?_

Tony tapped back a short reply.

_Yes. Thx. TTYL._

He sat the phone down, and looked back at Ziva. "Abby. Wanted to know if I liked the diner." He smiled blissfully, and shrugged

"You really do look happy, Tony. I have not been around much this week to notice it, but you really do."

Tony tilted his head a little as he looked at Ziva. "It's because I really am."

Ziva sat back and sighed. "Then, I am happy for you."

Tony felt his smile widen. "Thanks, Zee. That means a lot."

"You can tell Gibbs that if I ever find out that he has hurt you, physically or emotionally, I will resort to using my former Israeli techniques on him."

Tony choked on his fries. "I'll pass the word. And thanks."

"The same goes for you. You both have rather colorful histories. I would hate for either of you to be added to the other's list of failures and mistakes. You two had better take care of one another. You will have more than each other to answer to if you mess this up." Ziva raised an eyebrow at Tony, and took another bite of her sandwich.

"I promise that we're going to take care of each other, Ziva." Tony's words were sincere.

"I believe you."

x-x-x

Tony walked into the house a little before nine. The lights were on in the kitchen, but Gibbs wasn't in there. Tony stuck his head down the basement steps, but he wasn't there either. A smile spread across his face as he turned and headed upstairs to Gibbs' bedroom. Tony had been in there once this summer, helping Gibbs carry the dresser out and switch it with the smaller one in the guest bedroom. Tony wondered to himself about why Gibbs had slept on the couch for so long if the guest room was available. He was glad to know that his boss had started to sleep in his bed again. He, himself, had spent a few nights in the guest room after too much quality time with cheap bourbon in the basement, but Gibbs had always slept on the couch.

He headed down the hall to the half open door, pushing it the rest of the way to find Gibbs lying in the bed asleep. The nightstand light was still on, and it shone down on the exhausted man, turning his silver hair, gold. Tony stood there and watched Gibbs sleep for a few minutes. He watched his chest rise and fall, one arm draped over it in a position that made Tony think Gibbs had only meant to lay down for a few minutes when he dozed off. He took in the khaki cargo pants and the worn gray t-shirt, and realized that Gibbs must have been hanging out in the basement, taking his worries out on his latest project.

Tony smiled, thinking of the framework Gibbs had laid out for his boat over the summer. It was the very beginnings of a new beginning. Tony remembered the night that Gibbs told him he was starting another one.

"_The last one took me four years to build. Life is a lot busier these days. I figure that by time I'm finished with this one, they'll be breathing down my neck to retire. Maybe I'll take her along the coast a couple of times before I go crazy, and find something else to do." _

"_Don't like to think about you leaving, Gibbs." Tony said._

"_I'll never been too far if you need me, Tony."_

"_You don't want to go retire in Mexico?" Tony asked quietly, afraid of the memories it would bring up._

"_No. My family is here now. I'm not leaving you guys again."_

_Tony smiled up at Gibbs over his beer. "I'm going to hold you to that, Boss."_

"_I hope you do."_

Tony smiled at his sleeping lover. He watched Gibbs doze for another minute before stripping out of his clothes. He very carefully turned off the nightstand lamp, and went around to the other side of the bed. He pulled back the covers, and climbed in.

Gibbs stirred in his sleep and woke up, taking in what was happening with a drowsy smile. He fumbled around until he got under the blankets with Tony, and snuggled up to him, wrapping his arms around the younger man. "Glad you're here."

"Me, too."

"Did Ziva take it well?" Gibbs asked, voice rough with sleep.

Tony kept his voice quiet. "She took it surprisingly well. She's going to need some time to understand it. She told me to let you know that if you hurt me, she's going to torture and assassinate you."

"Oh? Good." Gibbs buried his head in Tony's shoulder and neck, nuzzling him until he found a comfortable spot.

"Good?" Tony asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. It's still better than my divorces," Gibbs said matter-of-factly.

"You'd rather be tortured and killed than divorce me?"

"Yeah. If she kills me, she's just proving that _she_ loves _you_. If you divorce me, you're proving that _you_ don't love _me_. I'd rather know that she loves you, than to know that you hate me." Gibbs' sleepy logic was making Tony chuckle involuntarily.

"You're forgetting one very important part of this whole philosophy, Gibbs."

"Hmm? What's that?"

"We're not married." Tony smirked at the older man.

"Not yet." Gibbs replied as if it were nothing.

"Not yet?"

"Not yet."

"Are you playing games with my head, Gibbs?"

"Tony, loving you has never been a game to me. Now, get some sleep."

Tony rested his head on Gibbs pillow, wrapping his arms tightly around the man bearhugging him. "I love you, Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

"I love you, too, Tony. Always will."


End file.
